Welcome to the phone banking team! Thank you for stepping up to help power this campaign. Every single call you make is a conversation that can move us closer to victory. Whether we’re identifying supporters, reminding folks to vote, or reaching out to volunteers, your voice makes a difference!
1. Why Phone Banking Matters
Conversations win elections. Research shows that one-to-one conversations are the most effective way to persuade and mobilize voters.
And, Texas is a big state, y’all! We can’t knock every door before the March 3rd primary. Phone calls let us reach thousands of people quickly, all across our state, in a personal way.
Every call adds up. Even if someone doesn’t answer, logging “no contact” helps us keep our data clean and focus on the right people later.
2. What We’ll Be Doing
We use phonebanking for a few different purposes:
- Volunteer Engagement: Calling people who signed up to volunteer with us, but haven’t yet joined Slack or taken their first action.
- Voter ID: Finding out who supports James, who is undecided, and who’s with the other side.
- GOTV (Get Out the Vote): Reminding supporters when, where, and how to cast their ballots when election day is close.
- Event RSVPs – Driving turnout for campaign events, especially in more rural areas.
Each call helps us build a stronger movement by connecting people to our campaign.
3. What You’ll Need
You can access our Dialer on any computer, tablet, or smartphone, via almost any web browser (including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox).
We also recommend using a pair of headphones for the best audio quality!
4. Getting Started with Our Dialer Tool
Before you make your first call, we’ll go through a complete training together. But here are the high-level steps you can expect:
- Log In. You’ll receive a link to the phonebank. Open it in your browser. (No downloads needed!)
- Enter Your Info. Put in your name, so we know you’re with us and can celebrate the calls you’re making! Your personal information will never be shared with the people you’re calling – only with our team. You do NOT use your own phone number for phone banks.
- Start Calling. The system will dial numbers for you. All you need to do is follow the script on your screen.
- Log Responses. During each conversation, you’ll click the corresponding answers in the dialer. This is just as important as making the call, because it’s how we learn about the folks you’re speaking with and know how to follow up later.
Repeat! Keep going until the shift ends!
5. Tips for Great Conversations
- Smile while you dial! It truly comes through in your voice. People respond to authentic, friendly volunteers more than perfect scripts. We’re building a campaign grounded in a sense of community, love, and support, and people can feel that energy through the phone!
- Stick to the script. That said, scripts are built in a certain way to help us achieve specific outcomes. Please stick as close as possible to them, while still feeling authentic, so we can collect consistent info. Put things like introductions and closings in your own words if that feels natural.
- Don’t argue. If someone disagrees, thank them for their time and move on. Our job is to find supporters, not convince everyone. Remember: We’re PRO-James, NOT anti-anyone else.
- Data matters. Always log the result, even if no one answers or someone hangs up.
6. Handling Common Situations
- No Answer / Voicemail – Just click “No Answer.”
- Wrong Number: Please apologize, then mark it in the dialer so we don’t call again!
- Undecided: Be warm, ask one follow-up question, then log it. We’ll follow up later.
- Hostile / Rude: PLEASE don’t engage. Thank them, mark appropriately in the dialer, and move on to the next call.
7. Staying Motivated
- Remember: most people won’t pick up, or will hang up! That’s normal. Sometimes it can take dozens of dials, sometimes more, to get to a good conversation. The wait is worth it!
- Dialer speed varies. Be Patient! Depending on the amount of people making calls, it may be a few minutes between your calls. The tool uses an algorithm that ensures when someone picks up, we have a volunteer ready to chat – that means occasionally, the call speed can feel a bit slow.
- Celebrate each and every contact; it could be the one that wins us a vote!
- Every call you make is part of a bigger team effort. Together, we’re aiming to reach millions of voters. Every conversation you have spreads the word about James!
8. Need Help?
If you hit a snag or have a tricky question during your shift, here’s how to get help:
- Type your question in the Phone Bank Meeting Chat
- Drop a question in the Phone Bank Slack Channel
- Direct message your Phone Bank Host or Staff contact
Don’t sit stuck — we’re here to help!
Thank you for powering this campaign. The calls you make today bring us closer to victory in March!